Notes / Commercial Description:
This Hop Monster uses multiple kettle hop additions with the technique of doubling the hop amount each addition (exponentially). Add in the hop back and the continuous dry hopping and your starting to get the picture. The beer is finished off with a "body-bag" sized hop-bag full of hop cones and oak chips. There it ages and mellows, disguising the alcohol content for a double strong, incredibly hoppy, yet drinkable beer.

User Reviews

Pours a deep orange color, very clear, in that it is not hazy, but there is at first a fair amount of suspended hop particles that eventually settle at the bottom of my pint glass. After topping off said glass from the 22 oz bomber, a foamy bright white head.

Not quite as strong as other DIPA's out there, but mainly get grapefruit and a slight hint of vanilla and alcohol.

Well balanced between sweet caramel malty flavor, citrus/piney hop flavor, that initial bitterness, and an oaky smooth finish. But upon drinking this one for a bit, and knowing that I'm doing "research" for my upcoming IPA homebrew, I don't think I would use the oak chips I have on it. I'm not thrilled by the flavor of oak in an IPA; I know it is authentic, but I'd say it could show off the hop flavor and aroma more if it had not been oaked. But over all the flavor lacked that overly sweet, caramely flavor that lesser DIPA's have when they're over 9-10%. (DFH 90 Min, I'm looking in your direction...)

Fairly thin and not viscousy, which I like, and not over or under carbonated, so I can't complain.

Drinks much easier than it's 10.5% may have you think. If not for it's limited availability and its high price, I wouldn't mind opening a second bomber, but that is not the case. Frankly I enjoyed their Duet IPA more and have yet to give Nelson or Pure Hoppiness a try. But one thing is for sure, Alpine likes their hops.

S: I poured this bottle right out of the fridge and the smell suffered at first. Luckily, I wasnt in a hurry and I nursed this bomber for about 2 hours. The smell that came from my glass after the beer had a chance to warm was intensely citrusy. I think that I also picked up on a hint of harshness, maybe a chemical odor, but I really had to close my eyes and "look" for it. Very little malt is discernible once the beer has warmed up. This is one of the more beautifully odiferous beers that I have had. Very typical of Alpine Beer Co.

T: Bitter, orangy, hoppy, malty, alcoholic. Tastes as if you were to eat a bit of orange rind that was drenched in orange oils. Very intense flavor. The hop character is a bit harsh but at the same time so juicy. The hop bitterness lingers nicely. My tongue cannot distinguish the oak chips that were put in with the final hop addition for this beer but I suppose that it might only be noticeable if it was left out.

D: This is not a session beer by any means but it is decidedly drinkable. The alcohol is present but hidden well. The limiting factors of this beer's drinkability is its alcohol content and slight hop harshness.

My first taste experience with this beer was at the Strong Ale Fest in Carlsbad and it blew me off my feet. In fact, it was my number one choice out off all the beers at the fest. I was very lucky to get my hands on a growler of Exponential just recently straight from the brewery itself (courtesy of Chappy052). Surprisingly, the batch was very different from what I drank down in Carlsbad. The color and smell remained the same, but the taste was a bit different. At first sip a strong orangy citric tang hits the taste buds, followed by the strong hop bite. You can also taste some oak-like characteristics as though the beer had been aged in oak barrells. I think I still prefer Alpine's Pure Hoppiness, but regardless this is one heck of a great double IPA and at 11% you better watch out!!

The king recommends drinking this beer with a hot polish sausage with red and yellow peppers.

A - slightly hazy apricot-orange. Lacing lasts the entire glass and is about 1/2 in with a vigorous pour.

S - Pine, sweet mango, and some citrus.

T - Not the most aggressively hoppy batch but the oliy/piney taste comes through first. Slick and grapefruity mid-palate with a green bitter finish. Reminds me of the last Poor Man's IPA that I had and that's a good thing.

M - Coats the mouth pretty well and stands up well to be consumed with pizza.

O - One of the best d/tIPAs that gets bottled. Would definitely recommend.

A- Dark amber. 1 finger of head that dissolves into a thin layer of bubbles. Thin lacing.

S- REALLY nice smell. Very citrusy hops. Grapefruit and pineapple. Some oak. Flowery. Very deep, full smell. I love the smell.

T- Very slight pine hops. A deep grassy taste is the most evident. Caramel. The flowery smell is not as evident in the taste. Lots of malts. But a little bit of pineapple comes through. This one is tough to pinpoint specific tastes because it seems that with each sip, I get something new. The oak is evident. Its a warm and really beautiful taste. I just looked at the bottle, and this is 11%?? Its hidden very well.

M- full bodies and warm. But not an alcohol warmth as much as a really nice drink warmth. Really nice.

D- At 11%, its almost lucky that I only have 1 bottle of this. Very drinkable and well hidden alcohol. I'd be stumbling before too long because I can't help but take big sips of this great beer. One of my favourite IPAs to date.

The color on the most recent offering seems to be a little lighter than previous releases. More of a typical IPA coloring than the deeper amber/orange cast to previous samplings. I'm fortunate enough to have had this fresh from the brewery on many occasions, and it never disappoints. Big malty nose, which you'd expect with that ABV, but so well balanced by the truck load of hops that that it's amazingly sippable for an 11%+ Imperial. I've had most of the big names...Both Plinys, Heady Topper, etc, and this is my choice for best Imperial style IPA. It is good to live in Beer Mecca!

Poured into a tulip, with a small white head (I suppose not surprising for 11%). Color is brilliant orange, just what I like to see.

Smell is intense, as soon as I opened the bottle it hit me. Grapefruit, citrus, and some definite hop-funk are in there. Taking a deep whiff I'm vaguely reminded of Parmesan cheese.

Taste is interesting. It's very dry, which I like, but the funk dominates over the piney/citrusy hop flavors. It's different, but as I drink it mellows. I was really expecting more of the pine/citrus, and it's disappointing in that regard. If there's any hint of the ABV it's on the very, very end, and even then it's mild. Amazing job hiding it, I'd never guess this is 11.

Mouthfeel is what you'd expect from Alpine, pretty thick with just-right carbonation.

Overall this is a very good beer, but it's pretty different from most other IPAs I've had. I'm wonder if there's some bottle-to-bottle variation, I have another and will edit this review if it's a lot different.

Had it at the brewpub 1 day after the launch. This beer is exceptional. A yellowish-orange colour. There's a punch-in-the-face, hoppy flavour. Tastes of Amarillo, Cascade, and perhaps even some Citra hops. Packed with a huge amount of tropical fruits. Lots of mango and grapefruit. This beer just grows on you after every sip. The mouthfeel is excellent, and the carbonation is not overwhelming. You'd never expect this beer to be anything near 11%. Brings strong floral and citrus notes at the nose. Compared to the previous batch, this really stepped up a notch on the fruit. It's a shame to slowly see this beer go. Get some asap.

Golden pour (refrigerated and fresh after purchase) with fine bubbles and a thin head; slight particulates.

NOSE is probably the most complex part: fresh hop flowers from the last infusion really stand out, intensely aromatic and sweet with hints of jasmine and kumquat. Hop flower most prominent after letting it warm to slightly under RT.

As far as TASTE is concerned (both chilled and room temp; not much difference), I must give a few extra points considering the 11% abv. Characteristic hop/grapefruit/pine and dried apricot evenly distributed after a processed honey-like entrance. Dangerous!

Despite what would seem a syrupy entrance, the MOUTHFEEL is bright, with a characteristic tang/acridity common in higher-proof IPAs. Bristling both during and after each sip, though...not exactly a pleasant note to leave on.

Nice, though I'd take Pliny the Younger over this as far as triple IPA's go...and P.T.Y. isn't even my favorite IPA. Still, a nice one to try if you haven't, yet.

A: Rich copper color, good clarity in the beer, not very cloudy one finger head and a little bit of lacing

S: A lot of flora and some citrus and pine hops. If any fruits were present in the aroma, they were overwhelmed by the hops.

T: HOPS! More piney hops in the palette then the flora in the aroma. In the background of the palette you can pick up some caramel and malts. Blends very well with the high alcohol and it sneaks up on you

M: Pretty thick mouthfeel, almost creamy and leaves a strong amount of lingering hoppyness in your mouth. Very good amount of natural carbonations

D: Hop Heads will find this beer very drinkable

Overall: I enjoyed this IIPA very much, I think it's my favorite from Alpine, which also has a very good selection of other great IPAs. I would recommend trying this beer if you see it on tap, although it's not available many placed

Had this at the brewery on 2/4/06 during my recent trip to CA and brought a growler home to the east coast. Strong hop character in the nose and taste. Very citrusy, hop aroma with enough malt to balance. Alcohol content at least 9+ but was not overwhelming. Drinkable, but recommended for hopheads.

Up until recently, I considered myself a balanced beer drinker. I never really craved any particular style of beer all the time. I enjoy them all; some at certain times of the year more than others. But in just the past couple of weeks, since Hopslam was released, I have found myself craving high IBU beers. It was for this reason that I asked my wife to pick up a Triple IPA from Alpine Beer Company, one of my all time favorite breweries, on her most recent trip to Cali (She said the staff there was very helpful to wives desperate to understand their husband's beer order.)

Pour, Color, & Aroma:
Upon pouring the beer, I noticed a glowing yellow from the beer creating a really nice halo effect. Exciting! After examining the beer in the light, as expected, the beer was crystal clear void of any sediment. The head was very crisp white and was slow to recede, leaving a slight lacing along the glass. This aroma is bewitching! I did not want to pull my nose out of my glass. The complexity was one that I was looking forward to trying to identify. Upfront was a radiant orange sweetness, followed by grapefruit zestiness and a luring pine. A subtle sugary sweetness led me into some some of the malts. A buttery biscuit succeeded the sweetness and eventually gave way to slight caramel maltiness. Just after the aroma I was ready to call this brew my favorite Triple IPA.

Taste:
Okay, this is the first beer that I wanted to stop the review and just enjoy what was in my hand. But I knew that wouldn't be fair. Grapefruit was the most dominating characteristic that came through bringing to mind a perfectly ripe piece of the fruit. Not too tangy, not too sweet, but balanced. Some other light tropical fruits made their presence known, most notably a tropical sweetness I attributed to pineapple as well as a smooth heavier sweetness that reminded me of an apricot. A light biscuit and caramel flavors came through for the malts.

Finish & Body:
This beer definitely left residual sweetness as an after taste, very similar to honey. Although I got a hint of a warming sensation as it was going down, I never would have attributed it to the alcohol. Carbonation level is a little on the low side, however I believe it works to the advantage of this style. The mouth feel is on the heavier side due to some of the creamier sweetness.

Final Thoughts:
This is a great beer. I am proud to say that this overtook the top spot on my favorite beer list, edging out Alaskan Double Black IPA by a slight margin. I highly recommend everyone to try this beer. I have not tried an average beer by this brewery, they only make phenomenal beers, and I look forward to trying each and every one! Prost Alpine!

Appearance - Poured 3 days later from the growler fill at the source. Appears clear and filtered, a light golden-orange color. Poured a 3 finger foamy head. Lingered until half way through. Ring around the glass lingered the rest of the way through.

Aroma - Very unique. I get tropical fruits and citrus. Pineapple, apricot, peach.

Taste - Like biting into a hybrid megafruit. Mango, papaya, pineapple. Gently followed by a bittering agent and perfect carbonation, maybe a bit of alcohol. Nice balance. Not a hop tea, some malty taste too.

taste: whatever you just smelled, is what you taste. slight hop bitterness all the way through with the citrus hop taste up front. caramel malt follows closely behind. you can definitely taste a slight burntness in the malt. not as much ending hop bitterness as I would expect.

mouthfeel: medium full mouthfeel, oily and pleasant.

drinkability: at 11% you arent having too many of these, but the alcohol is not present in the taste or smell.

A: Poured aggressively. Nice two finger head recedes leaving a nice layer of lacing covering the top. Looks like a model dipa in color. Golden straw maybe a tad darker.

S: Hops galore. Citrus and pine come through real strong. Smells like what I want every ipa to smell like. I don't want to take my nose away from the glass but knowing the possibilities I move on.

T: Wow. Just Like it smells. Hops all the way with a oily dry finish. Not as dry as most with this much hoppiness going on. Cannot detect the 11% at all. Smooth and delicious. Nothing I would change with this. Epitome of what I look for in a dipa.

D: Beyond drinkable. The hops smooth out everything and make this beer what it is. Not super complex. Super hoppy and smooth and thats what I look for in dipas. I'd choose this over hopslam and the elder anytime where the abv wouldn't matter. The smoothness is spectacular when compared to the hops that come through. One of my favorites.

Taste: Very bitter with pine, citrus and mango coming through. Subtle malts that just barely balance out the bitterness to never let you forget you're drinking a hop bomb. A bit sweeter than the last release. (Cold weather delayed the fermentation process by 1 week, not sure if that had anything to do with it.)

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, mild carbonation and oily. Just the very slightest hint of lingering booziness at the end. What to you expect for 11%?

Overall: Go into it with the mindset that you're experiencing one of the most labor intensive special releases from Alpine and you wont be disappointed. Great celebratory beer even if it's celebrating the end of a long day at work. Alpine definitely has easier drinking beers (Duet and Nelson) but none better.

this beer comes from a awesome small little brewery out here in san diego, ca. they only release this beer once a year and it normally sells out in about three days, this year though, it sold out in one day. it's a was a limit 6 this year and sold for $10 a 22oz bottle. it has a great hoppy small to it that is quiet overwhelming and awesome. for a 11%ABV, doesn't taste like it. it's easy and smooth.